Dragon Kingdom: A Fire Emblem Tale
by DarkAres
Summary: She used to fool herself into thinking she came from a great family. She never expected to be right. It's time to come home, Princess of Goldoa.
1. Chapter 1: A Reason to Fight

So this is a fanfiction based on an RP I'm in called _Dragon Kingdom. _While it takes place in it's own seperate world, I thought it would be interesting to write a sort of alternate-version of the story in the world of Tellius. It's supposed to take place a good time after Radiant Dawn.

More importantly though, I want to thank Dark Dragon for letting me use her RP and characters (multiple characters, most importantly Ruby and Pepti), and thank demon of razgriz for letting me use his character (Marco).

And in the case the two of you are the ones reading this and wondering "What? Where are Ephidel and Lilina?", I changed Ephidel's name to Sol and Lilina's name to Malini. Mainly because I got the original names from Fire Emblem and don't want to confuse people.

Alright, so I hope you read and enjoy this, and I really, really hope I update this. I do have a few more chapters written down, but whether I can fight laziness long enough to type them up (and make more) is unknown.

(Oh, and it doesn't sound relevant to the summary right now, but trust me; it will get there)

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"So that is the story."

The Royal Dragons stood silently, taking what King Kurthnaga had said in. It had surprised them enough to be called to the king as a group in these times of peace. After Ashera's War ended nearly two years ago, Goldoa had helped rebuild where possible, but it was never the Royal Dragons who were sent. It was their job to keep up the nation's securities in any situation. Of course, that meant that the last few years of peace had not kept them particularly busy.

"Now, we _have_ confirmed that this is true," Kurth continued, "but not where it is happening. That is where the Royal Dragons come in."

This time the king stood silent, waiting for the inevitable response from the five Goldoans before him.

"So..." a Red Dragon spoke up, "our group is to search each of the other countries, my lord?"

"Group?" a White Dragon responded, raising his eyebrows. "I'm thinking individually. You know, to avoid unnecessary attention. This is still a top-secret matter."

"That is exactly what I had in mind, Pelipito." Kurth agreed.

Pelipito smiled in triumph over the Red Dragon. It sounded like he would finally have the chance to see beyond Goldoa. And that meant he could start his crucial mission.

"If it would be alright, my lord, there is a particular country I would like to visit." Pelipito added, making sure to bow. A little extra flair never hurt in front of a king.

"Oh?" Kurth asked.

He may have been surprised if it was someone other than Pelipito. Most Goldoans preferred to stay in Goldoa their entire lives. Considering how long they usually lived, that was really saying something. But no one who knew him would classify Pelipito as being like other Goldoans. He had a thirst for adventure, and an even bigger thirst for something else...

"So where would that be, Pelipito?"

"I would like to visit Begnion."

* * *

Just over this hill and it would be in sight.

That may have meant only a matter of seconds in his wolf form, but on these "human" legs, it would be at least another minute. This Beorc form could really get annoying sometimes.

Then again, a puddle of rainwater reminded him of this form's benefits. Bangs of his short, orange hair fell over his face, or so his reflection told. His wolf ears were well hidden in his spiked hair, so he could pass off as a Beorc when needed. His tail was a little harder to hide, but he found that curling it around his waist could convince others it was a belt, though he wore a chain as a belt over it. Just in case. That was, if he remembered not to move it. Of course, he wasn't quite as swift without his extra balance. He was more fit and tanned than your average Beorc would be, and while he appeared to be in his late teens, Sol had actually lived for nearly forty years now.

Besides, he couldn't afford to transform yet; the Beorc of northern Begnion weren't exactly "friendly" with Laguz. Assuming "not exactly friendly" meant "will kill on sight". And maybe "make clothing out of their hide".

It was really a strange place for the Branded to make a colony, but they had kept their true nature hidden longer than Sol had lived. They knew what they were doing. It wasn't like the Branded were stupid; Malini herself had dumbfounded Sol on more than one occasion. Or rather...most occasions.

But then, Malini was-

"What the hell?!"

The summit showed the colony of Pheon as promised, but that was not all it revealed. It was no surprise Sol hadn't seen it in this bright daylight, but he should have smelt it.

Pheon was on fire.

"H-how?!" Sol exclaimed, pausing on the summit to survey what was left of the town from his vantage point.

It was strange how you never realized what was important until you're about to lose it.

But this was not "realizing time".

He needed to do what he could to help. It was times like these that made him proud to be a Laguz. The amount of benefits pure muscle strength allowed was priceless.

Deciding not to waste time, Sol began to transform as he sprinted down the hill. By the time he reached the other side, he was a wolf.

With his swift legs and orange fur, Sol was nearly invisible against the growing flames in wolf-form. But with smoke blinding his sight and the stench of fire, it was difficult for Sol to get his bearings. He knew the layout of Pheon well enough from his many visits over the last three years, but the fire had even made sure to change that.

"They're back!"

Sol turned to the source of the voice, squinting to see through the smoke. His keen eyesight kicked in, and he spotted a man high above him, readying an arrow.

At him.

Pushing off both his right limbs, Sol leaped out of the arrow's path, unfortunately into a wall. As he tried to regain his equilibrium (and quietly cursed the smoke), the archer prepared to fire his crossbow again.

"You Laguz bastards won't take me!" he shouted, letting the arrow fly.

It was too quick for Sol, and it pierced his tail. Letting out a quick howl of pain, he ripped the bolt out with his teeth and rushed towards the house where the archer was set up. With alarming speed fuelled by anger, he scaled the building and found himself in the archer's face. Using his left claw to pin the Branded sniper down, he knocked away his gear with his free claw.

"You think you're tough for fighting an old man?" the Branded exclaimed. "What's so great about you Laguz? Why can't you leave us alone?! I carry half your blood!"

"_He's wasting time," _Sol thought. _"Which means..."_

The wolf rolled off the archer just in time to see a flash of metal. Behind him, a Branded female raised her sword and prepared for a second strike.

Sol prepared to dodge the blade's drop when he saw the attacker's face.

"Maria?"

The swordfighter froze, her weapon pointing up to the sky. This would be a perfect time to counter had he been looking for a fight. Of course, the archer was probably thinking the same thing. Deciding to take a shot in the dark, Sol began to return to his "human form". If she didn't recognize him, it would all be over; he wasn't too skilled at fighting untransformed. Still, Malini had made him one of the toughest "Human Laguz Warriors" as she called him. Especially with the chain she gave him.

"You... aren't you Malini's friend?" Maria realized.

Sol smiled. Mission complete.

"Yeah. Sol, isn't it? But...you're a tiger?"

"Wolf, actually. And sorry I had to keep it hidden, but I think you can see why."

"There are wolf Laguz?"

"Yeah, we're not particularly well known. But that's not important." Sol replied, motioning to the fire. "Just what happened here?"

"Laguz. Nearly a hundred of 'em." the archer spoke up, putting down his crossbow. He must have grabbed it when Maria charged in.

"Was it a raid?" Sol began. "Or was it...?"

The archer _had _shot with almost killing intent. Was he trying to avenge someone?

"Raid, pillage, whatever you want to call it." the main answered gruffly. "They kidnapped almost everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Well, not _everyone_." Maria interrupted. "We're still here. And a few of us tried to fight back and went out to meet the Laguz."

"What happened to them?" Sol asked. To this, he got no response. "And don't the Beorc around here hate Laguz? How did they even get here?"

"That's just it." Maria sighed, leading the others towards a staircase. "Freyr is widely known for its violence against Laguz, even considering the events of the last few years. That's why we didn't expect them to attack us. Especially not from there. But they were no ordinary cats..."

The trio reached the ground floor, where the flames were finally beginning to die out. Still, it didn't seem like it was a normal fire. It was...guided, or something. Actually...why was the town on fire? Laguz couldn't use magic, and as far as Sol knew, none would disgrace themselves by carrying torches. Tools were meant for the Beorc; the body was enough for Laguz.

It was still a little hard for him to believe. After all, almost no one knew that this was a Branded town; it was commonly seen as just another rural Beorc village. Sol himself had made that mistake long ago. Back when he had first met her.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

The wolf was caught off guard again; the archer was spot on in his guess. And unusually kind considering his macho attitude moments earlier.

"I saw them take Malini." Maria added.

"Take her?" Sol asked carefully, though his thoughts were more along the lines of _so she's alive?!_

"Yeah, I saw her too. Trying to fight them beasts. She's got real spunk in her." the archer continued. "She was alive last time I checked ."

_(wow, spot on again. Mind reading much?)_

"Probably got taken back to wherever those bastards came from...no offense."

"I won't associate myself with those Laguz brigands. They don't deserve the title of 'Laguz'. Especially if they have Malini." Sol growled, his hair standing on end. "How can people be like this?! Even Daein's Queen Micaiah is a Branded, and she's considered a hero!"

"But think about; have your people accepted us?" Maria countered. "Hell, people are still worshipping the Goddess Ashera, even after the war. Not even the Empress follows Ashera anymore, but some people just don't understand."

Sol couldn't argue with that. His outlook of Tellius and its people was often challenged by his wolf brothers. But it was commonly known that Queen Nailah joined the other races in Ashera's War. People could be so difficult to understand...

At least one thing was clear:

He was going to Freyr.

* * *

It had been nearly two days since the incident in Pheon. Due to the time he spent helping salvage the town, Sol had not actually left until this morning. But at least the rain had stopped Pheon from being completely destroyed.

But it had done its job now, and Sol wished more than anything that it would stop already.

Well, maybe not more than _anything,_ but it was still annoying.

"_I don't think it's much further. I'll save her somehow. I'll save them all."_

Walking in human form (no telling when Laguz hunters would show), Sol was glad that he was on the right path. Maybe not to Freyr, but on the trail of the Laguz. Even with his natural wolf senses, however, tracking the scent had not been easy. These Laguz were far from the ordinary...although that was obvious from what happened in Pheon.

And what was about to happen.

"DEMON! Somebody help!"

It was a Beorc crying out, and not too far. Did it have a run-in with some of the Laguz? Hell, it seemed like even one of these Laguz were dangerous enough.

"_It's worth a shot." _Sol decided, changing his pace to a sprint.

"MONSTER! Go back to hell!"

He was getting closer; the Beorc was trying to fight back. Or so the scent of metal suggested. No scent of blood yet.

The Laguz seemed untraceable. Sounds of heavy attacks were clear though. And the smell of blood spiked suddenly.

A tiger? No, too graceful...

But unusually strong for a cat...

And it wasn't flying, so no birds...

Sol slid to a stop just before a clearing in the trees. A Beorc was on the ground, his now detached hand still clutching a knife.

"_D..damn..." _Sol gulped, instinctively grabbing his own hand as if it might fall off.

"To have done what you did and expect forgiveness..."

The other figure was talking now. The attacker, approaching the Beorc in human form _(what kind of Laguz was it?)._

"...is foolishness itself."

A split second later, the Beorc's head joined his hand while his body collapsed in a pool of blood. The cut had been precise; an instant kill.

And it had been done with a sword.

"_Wait...a Beorc?" _

Wiping the blood of his katana, the standing figure sheathed it before picking up his victim's pieces. The swordsman carried it with strange ease, disappearing into the forest. Probably to hide the body.

That Beorc was dead. Just seconds ago it had been screaming, yet not it was in lifeless pieces...Sol became queasy just thinking about it.

To make matters worse, the stench of blood overpowered the Laguz trail. And it wasn't like Sol could ask directions.

"_Oh hey scary swordsman, do you know which direction Freyr is in? I'm trying to track down some Laguz that took my Branded friend."_

But if he simply _followed _the Beorc, he might end up in Freyr. And he could pick up the scent again from there. Hopefully.

Unless the Beorc killed him first.

_Please dont be a Laguz hunter..._

Moments later, the Beorc reappeared with empty hands. And off he was again, perhaps to kill someone else.

Fastening the chain around his waist (to reduce the noise and whatnot), Sol climbed into the branches above him and watched the swordsman move. Once he was a decent distance away, Sol began to follow him, still in the safety of the trees.

It wasn't too hard; the Beorc wasn't in any particular hurry. Still, Sol knew how serious his situation was. One little mistake and he would be fighting for his life. But he knew how to trail someone quietly. That's why he was in the trees; on the ground, he could mistakenly step on branches or kick some stones. Malini had taught him all about stealth.

Time moved on in this way, and Sol remained unnoticed. Freyr couldn't be too far now. Even the scent of the Laguz was growing, as was the scent of people in general.

And that's when the Beorc stopped.

"Marco, is that you?" an unseen voice asked.

"Yes. I've done it." the Beorc replied, reaching into his pocket. And bringing out-

"The hand?!" Sol gasped. A little too loudly.

"Someone's following you." the invisible voice pointed out.

"So?" Marco responded nonchalantly. "I did my task. I need my pay quickly; there are other things I have to do."

Another Beorc, of much worse physical condition, came into view. Upon inspecting the hand, it handed a small bag to Marco. Probably full of money.

"And who will you kill next? I don't have any jobs for you." the unknown Beorc grinned.

"I have other reasons to kill this one." Marco replied, putting the bag away. "I've promised to kill the Branded girl by tomorrow night."

"_Branded girl?! Is he talking about Malini?" _

Without much thought, Sol jumped out of the trees and directly in front of the two Beorc. But on the bright sight, Marco's sword was still sheathed.

"I won't let you kill her!" Sol growled, arming himself with the chain.

If he had to fight, he was ready. But transforming from the start might provoke Marco into killing him. He needed to bait the Beorc somehow; lower his defenses. The wolf may as well start the fight in his human form and save the transformation as a trump card.

Sighing, Marco withdrew his katana.

"I have no issues with you," Marco said, holding his sword high, "but if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

* * *

Okay, I highly doubt most chapters will be that long, but I had no idea how to break this into smaller parts properly. Hope you enjoyed, comments appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2: In the Blade's Shadow

_I realize it's been...months since I started this, but I haven't had the most time in the world this last little while either. Still, I DO plan to get this story finished, no matter how long it takes me._

_Anyways, enjoy._

* * *

The other Beorc had taken a hint and left, leaving only Sol and Marco. And only a few feet apart. Twenty seems about right.

Obviously Sol was worried. He didn't feel like he could talk his way out of this, even if he was against a Beorc. Too bad this particular Beorc seemed as battle-ready as any Laguz. So that left him with escaping or fighting.

Hm...escaping could work; Sol was definitely fast enough. But then this "Marco" knew the area better and was his only lead at this point. Escaping now meant giving up on Malini and everyone else. Well, maybe not, but sometimes you have to think like this to convince yourself of things. Basically, the wolf had to stand his ground and fight.

"_Some time for my first real battle...and I have to start like this too..."_

Battling with a chain was fairly unheard of in these parts. Maybe Sol would be alright. He had trained with this for quite a while, but his aim was still...how did Malini put it? "Unrefined", that was it. The only the wolf could really do any damage was with the metal wolf claw he had attached to the chain's end.

Luckily this all flashed through Sol's mind in about a second. Unfortunately, Marco was only willing to wait that one second.

As Marco began his dash, Sol took a step back and took aim as quickly as possible before launching his weapon. Meanwhile, the target quickly stepped to the left to dodge. Many ranged fighters made the mistake of striking where their target was currently, rather than trying to predict movement.

Sol had made the mistake too, but he didn't have the greatest accuracy, so...

"What?!" Marco exclaimed, surprised as the metal claw slashed his shoulder. _"He actually connected? Who is this kid?" _

"Wow. Go figure." Sol smiled, pulling the chain back.

Was his lack of skill being mistaken as some sort of "tricky strategy"? As long as it worked it was fine. It wasn't like Sol was planning on killing the Beorc; just subduing and questioning. Hopefully there would be no more death today.

This time Marco didn't wait for Sol to finish thinking.

Sol threw his chain in battle for the second time in his life, though this time in more of a panic. And while Marco was zig-zagging towardshim to dodge, it didn't really matter; the chain struck the ground about one foot away from the wolf.

"...crap."

And now Marco was within slashing distance. With no time to block, Sol held up the chain to block the first sword swing.

"_This is what a real battle feels like? Not as much killing intent as I thought."_

Sol managed to keep his strength in line with Marco's. The swordfighter wouldn't win by overpowering him. But then that's not what sword-fighting was about. Marco raised his weapon and prepared to stab. Still, the chain would be between the sword and Sol's face.

But precise aim could fix that problem.

To Sol's surprise, the sword slid through a loop in the chain (_"how the hell did he do that?!") _and stopped at his neck.

"_There's that killing intent!" _Sol thought, frozen in place.

"You were a strange opponent." Marco said, with absolutely no emotion in his voice. He twisted his sword ever so slightly, earning a drop of Sol's blood.

How strange that Sol seemed to enjoy the scent of his own blood. It was...almost intoxicating. Was this what they called blood lust? Whatever it was, it provided unexpected confidence. He felt so alive.

Dropping his chain, Sol back flipped and narrowly avoided a fatal cut. Marco himself was quick to jump away after unlocking his katana.

"Not bad." Marco said, this time with a bit of excitement. "But now Tusaki has tasted you. You won't escape."

"I'm not trying to escape." Sol grinned.

He shot out a quick kick, which Marco easily blocked. But Sol wasn't finished. With his free leg, the Laguz leapt of the ground and nailed the swordsman in the head, barely landing back on his feet.

"My aim's not bad now, eh?" Sol smirked, brimming with confidence.

"Interesting technique." Marco coughed, regaining his stance. "I wonder..."

Tusaki flashed towards Sol and twisted around his guard to slit his arm.

"Ready to die?" Marco said, mentally preparing himself for the kill.

Only to barely dodge a right hook.

"_So I was right before..."_

Sol continued with a flurry of punches, none of which connected. That last cut hurt like hell and his battle lust was fading. But then it wasn't like he could simply give up.

Maybe it was time for his trump card.

The wolf`s train of thought was quickly interrupted when one of his punches connected with a metal surface; Marco`s sword. The vibrations off the blade threw Sol off balance and the swordsman didn`t hesitate.

In a split second, Marco was behind Sol and Tusaki was at the wolf`s neck.

Yup, he couldn't back flip out of this one. In fact, even transforming right now wouldn't work; before it was complete, Marco would have had plenty of time to kill him. Who was he trying to fool anyways? He was no hero, just a normal Hatari. Hell, there were much stronger Hatari back home, but that didn't mean they could take out an army of stronger-than-average Laguz. But no, he had to try and save everyone by himself, being the idiot that he was. Maybe he deserved death for his stupidity...

"Will you transform now?" Marco broke in. "No sense denying it now."

"I...what?"

With that, Marco sheathed his sword, causing Sol to quickly turn around and punch him in the face.

"I'm not finished with you!" Sol growled. Here comes the battle lust. And more importantly, his transformation. He was soon in his natural orange-furred wolf form.

"A Hatari?" Marco smiled, picking himself off the ground. "It's been a long time since I saw one of the desert wolves."

"Where's Malini?!"Sol shouted, completely disregarding the fact that this was the first non-Hatari who knew of his species.

"I don't know who you speak of."

"You're after a Branded girl. I heard you earlier."

"I am, but her name is not Malini. Nor is her alias."

"Oh really? How convenient." Sol said sarcastically.

"It's also convenient to believe Malini is the only Branded girl someone would be searching for."

"Even if it's someone else, she might be connected. There was a Branded village raided not too long ago." Sol tried to reason.

"I've heard..." Marco began, turning away from the wolf, "that a band of Beast Laguz are hiding Branded slaves nearby. I'm sure you can find more answers in Freyr."

And with that, the swordsman was off. Sol returned to human form and re-locked his chain.

"One more thing. Well, two." Sol called. "Why didn't you kill me?"

"A Laguz fighting in human form is at a handicap. I'll kill you when you fight properly."

"Oh...kay." Sol nodded. What a friendly guy this was...

"Second thing; how do I get to Freyr?"

* * *

Night fell shortly before Sol reached town. The wound on his arm proved more distracting during the walk than the fight; a make-shift bandage made from leaves was his only treatment. It wasn't like he could have a priest heal it for him.

Anyways, he was finally in Freyr. So now he just needed information. Which sucked, because this was his first visit to a Beorc town. How nice it would be to just relax and explore.

"_Now then..."_ Sol thought, double checking to make sure his ears were hidden_. "How do I get information without looking suspicious?"_

Asking people on the street would get him nowhere, except in trouble. Someone once mentioned that Beorc gather in "pubs".

"_So what exactly is a pub?" _he wondered, looking at unfamiliar signs. He knew how to speak the Common Tongue used by Beorc, but he could only read in Hatari.

Which meant he was practically forced to talk to someone on the street now.

"_I need to find the most non-suspicious Beorc." _

His wolf eyes were as sharp as ever in this darkness, so he could spot people before they spot him. Well, in theory.

"There you are!"

Sol froze in place at the voice. Hopefully, it wasn't directed at him. Maybe if he just walked slowly...

"Yeah, you _know_ you're in shit now!" the voice continued. Sounded like some pissed-off girl.

In any case, Sol didn't want to die today. He had enough of a near-death experience today anyways.

The voice was getting closer too. Run back the way he came or fight it out? Decisions, decisions...

Maybe he should get a look at the hunter before deciding. If they were wielding a bow, Sol could probably just rush them.

Yet pointing a knife towards him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her red hair was almost painfully bright, yet traces of black roots balanced them out. Add in sharp hazel eyes and a well-fitted outfit, and she was very stunning.

"Aw, surprised to see me?" she said, a smile growing on her face. A smile that Sol instantly recognized.

It was the smile a hunter gets right before the kill.

* * *

_Not as long, I know. But hopefully it was still enjoyable._


	3. Chapter 3: Laguz and Beorc

_Just making a few fixes with typos and all._

**Chapter 3**

After just escaped with his life from Marco, Sol was in no mood for a battle. At the same time, he wouldn't have to worry about warming up in case this huntress charged him.

And it looked like Miss "I Have a Knife" heard his thoughts, as charge is exactly what she did.

Here's the strange part; whereas Sol could easily outrun anyone he had met, this girl was difficult just to follow with his eyes. As a reflex, the wolf's hands moved to his chain as the girl closed in on him. Maybe with some accuracy and his Laguz strength, he could knock this girl off her feet with a kick. Or dodge her and counter with the chain.

"_Right. Two options. Hopefully I don't die."_ he thought, mentally prepared for a clash. There was NO way he would fall so soon into his adventure.

This is apparently what the huntress thought as well, swiftly slipping under his kick and continuing her mad dash. Using the opportunity to get some distance from her, Sol hid in the alley she had first charged from. Free of panic, yellow eyes caught a glimpse of a Beorc man swing some sort of large weapon at the girl. It was hard to tell what exactly happened in those next few seconds, but it ended with the man face down, his weapon across the street, and her knife tasting blood.

"_And I was going to fight this maniac? That was close." _the Hatari sighed, hands still over his weapon. Precaution, you see. Regardless, he turned his back to the girl in order to continue his search for this "pub".

"Did I _say_ you could move?"

Eyes widened in horror as her voice was followed by impossibly fast footsteps. With pure instinct, he managed to turn around and stab the metal claw at the huntress. Only to find it clang against her knife and send her a few steps backwards. Blood from the Beorc leaked onto his own weapon. Plus there was just something about a beautiful girl with a knife that was just frightening in a surreal way.

Growling at him, her knife shot forward again. Despite her running speed, her knife moved no faster than Marco's. This meant, while it was still fast, the wolf could dodge it.

As he did, jumping up a few feet and launching a kick at the girl, who brought up both arms to block her head. A flash of metal drew blood from his leg and caused him to fall on his back. With her knife at his neck, of course.

"First of all, you're not a bad fighter. Second of all, you attacked me unprovoked. And that's the real issue here." the huntress spoke, not moving her knife an inch. "What do you have against the Town Guard? Or is it me specifically?"

"Town Guard?" Sol asked, eyes darting to look for an escape.

"Not a good answer. Are you a liar, an idiot, or a trespasser?" she shot back, glaring down at the Hatari. "I want to say it's the last one. Otherwise you would know your surroundings well enough to escape by now."

A growl escaped Sol as she insulted his pride. Who the hell did this girl think she was? Just because she was fast and got one lucky hit made her superior? Just thinking of people like that made him...made him...

"ROAR!"

This time the wolf roared in her face, causing her to drop the knife. In that instant, Sol launched a fist into her gut, causing her to roll off in pain. Unfortunately he did not get on his feet fast enough, as he felt a blunt strike to the back of his head and went flying out of the alley.

"That's it. I'm putting you under arrest." she sighed, un-wrapping a chain.

The Hatari's chain was still in his hands, meaning the huntress had her own.

"Interesting. There's no way she can take me out with that." he smiled, personality changing from the pumping adrenaline. Apparently he did not remember just how tired he was at this point.

The girl gave him no answer, doing a job rather than battling for fun. She swung the chain above her head a few times before chucking it at the wolf. Like his own, it had a sharp object at the end. Deflecting it with his own chain, he prepared for a counter.

Only to realize what her plan really was as she tackled him to the floor. Back to square one...

"Sorry, sorry! Can't I just explain myself?" Sol asked, letting go of his weapon to show his surrender.

"I suppose." she answered, not lowering her own weapon.

"I thought you were after me when you went charging after that other guy. And with your speed, you can't deny I'd feel threatened."

"You would only feel threatened if you did something wrong and believed I found out." the huntress answered, as calm as ever. "So...any other brilliant ideas? Or should I just stab you now?

"Fine, fine! I'll tell you! Just promise you won't kill me!" he pleaded, happy to see her nod in agreement.

"It's just...I heard this town doesn't exactly like Laguz."

"And you are a Laguz?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose that may explain your fighting ability."

"Yes! Exactly! So you can let me go now, right?"

"You still tried to attack me." she growled, "But..."

With another sigh, she got to her feet and away from the Hatari.

"It has been a while since I met another Laguz." she explained, throwing her hair back to reveal nearly hidden cat ears.

"And that must explain your fighting ability." Sol nodded, his pride recovering. After all, it was better to be beaten by another Laguz than a weakling Beorc.

"Well than, what are you doing here if you know of the hate?" she questioned, crossing her arms. A glimpse of the knife caught his eye, making him realize she didn't quite trust the Hatari yet.

As he was about to explain his situation, he ran things over in his mind. Malini had been kidnapped by other Laguz.

Marco said they had a base here.

And now he had run into a rather powerful Laguz with questionable motives.

"I think you should know." Sol answered, grabbing her by the collar. He didn't get out any more words before she double-kicked him in the stomach and sent him into the ground.

"I think I do. It's the Anti-Branded army, isn't it?" she said, pointing her knife at the wolf yet again. "People like you make us Laguz look bad. Now tell me - where is their base?"

Confused at what just happened, Sol slowly got to his feet only to see another punch aimed at him. This one he stopped.

"Okay, so I'm not the best explainer apparently." Sol sighed, letting go of the attacker's fist. "A friend of mine was kidnapped by them, and I heard their base is near Freyr. I've come to save her."

The huntress looked him up and down, taking her hand back. Though her eyebrows were still raised, Sol had a feeling she trusted him. Which would be awesome, because he _was_ telling the truth.

"A Hatari, aren't you?" she finally spoke up, putting down the knife. "I suppose I could trust you. If you do not try to attack me again."

Sol bent over with a huge "Oh thank god" sigh escaping him before straightening up. After all, one more question waited.

"Awesome. So can you tell me where the pub is?"


	4. Chapter 4: In Search of Truth

_Hey look! I finally remembered to update!_

**Chapter 4: In Search of Truth**

In some ways, this wasn't a bad day.

True, Sol had been discovered as a Laguz. Twice.

And yes, he had almost been killed by Marco and Miss Knives.

But he was on his way to collect what could be the final piece of information needed to save Malini. And he had a Laguz escort (as well as a random Beorc criminal about to be turned in for gold).

"By the way, my name's Sol." the wolf spoke up, not exactly comfortable with how he was meeting his first Gallian Laguz.

"Varuna." the huntress replied, looking back at the Beorc she was dragging along. She had picked up a wagon to roll him in, which was currently attached to her chain.

"So this Town Guard...you capture criminals?" Sol asked.

The buildings here seemed so much more complicated than the ones back home. Maybe those Beorc "tools" were responsible for this.

Or perhaps it was their magic, which most Laguz had grown to fear.

"We work to protect Freyr from dangerous people, both within and outside the town. A large town like this requires such a force." Varuna answered, coming to a stop. Sol followed her lead.

"So is this a Pub?" he asked, looking up at the building they had stopped at. There was some sort of sign above the door, but it was written in Beorc - it might as well have been blank for the Hatari.

Noticing the Hatari's confusion, Varuna spoke up. "The sign reads Pub. You might want to learn how to read Beorc if you are serious about your mission."

Sol approached the door, eager to get his information. Hopefully it would be enough to save Malini by tonight. How perfect would that be?

"I need to take this guy to headquarters." Varuna explained, beginning to walk away. "Stay on guard if you're collecting infor-"

The door swung open and nearly slammed into Sol. Luckily a hop was enough of a dodge. A Beorc appeared in the doorway and glanced at the Hatari before approaching Varuna.

"I saw you from inside, and just had to come out. You are the most beautiful woman I have _ever_ seen!" the Beorc smiled, staring at the irritated Gallian.

"What do you want?" she shot back.

Though the doorway was now clear, Sol realized he probably needed to help Varuna out here. She did help him find the Pub. And she was a fellow Laguz.

"Is there a problem here?" the Hatari asked, putting one hand on the Beorc's shoulder. The stranger's oddly long ice-blue hair made this awkward.

"Oh, I see how it is." the Beorc said, turning to glare at Sol. By this point, Sol was almost used to being stared at. "Are you with this lady, Mr. Chain Child?"

"...what did you call me?" Sol asked, looking down at the chain on his waist. Chain child? Really? Adding the formal "Mister" hadn't helped any either.

"I have business to attend to. Goodbye." Varuna piped in, dragging the wagon away. The blue-haired Beorc watched her as she walked off.

And there went his escort. Great.

Deciding he had done his share, Sol moved past the love-struck man and entered the pub. By all means, he should have expected this when he heard about the information network. Still, seeing a building filled with so many Beorc was beyond him. It didn't help that practically all of them were armed with metal weapons. The Hatari couldn't even remember seeing this many Laguz packed into one building. A crowd gathered near one wall with a bunch of pictures up. Each pictured depicted a person's face and some Beorc characters.

"Those are criminals with bounties on their head."

Sol's hair shot up in surprise as the Beorc from earlier reappeared. Hadn't he gone after Varuna?

"I can see why she prefers you. Same types of people, you and her." the Beorc went on, gaining a raised eyebrow from Sol. Just what was this man getting at?

Actually, why should Sol even care? All he needed was information on the Anti-Branded Army.

"So Mr. Hatari, what brings you so far south?"

A surge of fear shot through Sol, who decided to follow instinct. Which turned out to be pushing this man outside of the pub.

"That's a little rude, no? Though I suppose it's rude of me not to introduce myself." the man spoke, separating himself from Sol. "My name is Pepti. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Staring at the Beorc (who made a little bow with his introduction), Sol was really starting to get pissed off. Three times? He had been discovered THREE TIMES in one day?

And to think a love-struck fool like Pepti had even found him out! Was Sol really so bad at hiding his identity?

"What the hell do you want? I'm in a really bad mood today." Sol growled, stepping towards Pepti.

"Any man would be, having to watch such a pretty girl leave him." Pepti remarked, closing his eyes and nodding. "This is a Beorc town. Very anti-Laguz. So why are you here? Is it something to do with those Branded hostages nearby?"

Wait, this Beorc knew about the kidnappings? It was starting to become obvious that this was no ordinary man...

"You can probably tell I'm no ordinary man." Pepti smiled, causing Sol's eye to twitch. "And I can tell you are no ordinary Laguz. So tell me...where's the hideout?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your hideout, you Anti-Branded fiend! Out with it!" Pepti exclaimed, shaking a fist.

"I'm not with those bastards!" Sol growled, shaking his own fist with much more menace.

"I find that hard to believe. What else would a Hatari being doing in Freyr? You're not on the Town Guard like that Gallian."

So he discovered Varuna too, huh? And she was really good at hiding her scent too. Maybe that was the real reason Pepti had gotten so close to her.

"I'm looking for information on them. I have a score to settle." Sol replied, putting his fist down. "If you're so against them...I could use your help."

Pepti paused for a few moments. Maybe he was thinking the offer over in his mind. In that time, Sol was able to notice the man had rather dark skin for a Beorc. His axe was also coloured white - most unusual.

"You seem honest enough." Pepti replied. "I suppose we could go in together. I do have a bit of a lead, but we should probably rest up first. Do you have a room?"

With all that had happened, Sol had forgotten to find a place to rest. He would be fine sleeping outside, but Beorc seemed to sleep inside buildings.

"I do. How about I meet up with you in the morning?" Sol decided.

"Would you know how to get here? " Pepti asked. "My room at the inn has a second bed. We should stay together."

"I suppose..."

Following the blue-haired Beorc into a building called "Inn", Sol found himself in a rather small room with two beds. One of which he proceeded to crash down on and quickly fall asleep. He hadn't been so tired in a long time.

Despite his fatigue, Sol still woke up a couple of hours after sunrise. He was simply too used to his home schedule to sleep longer, though he was still tired. As expected, Pepti was still asleep. Those Beorc seemed to require a lot of sleep for such weaklings.

Pepti was awake by the time Sol finished cleaning himself with water from a contraption in another room. It had proven rather difficult not to break the metal knob that let water in.

"Good morning, Hatari." Pepti called, sitting up in his bed. "I'm afraid I don't remember your name."

"It's Sol." the wolf explained, leaving the water-room. "So what's this lead you have? The location of the base?"

With a sigh, the Beorc stood up from the bed and stretched out. "Let's not talk business so early in the morning."

A frown from Sol failed to change Pepti's mind. The Hatari was left to lie around on the bed while Pepti made use of the water-room.

"_He didn't try to attack in my sleep, so he's probably not a spy." _Sol thought, cleaning out his claws. _"But that doesn't mean I can trust him. He may lead me into a trap."_

Pepti emerged from the other room with a "Viola!" He seemed rather proud of his appearance, having combed his hair and changed his clothes. The clothes weren't fancy or anything though - a black shirt and loose black pants. There seemed to be a flame pattern on the back of the shirt though, separating it from completely normal clothes.

Sol was used to wearing his own single outfit - a brown sleeveless vest with equally loose grey pants. It seemed both of them dressed for practicality.

"Anyways, I have a meeting with someone who should know the location. He's an information agent. For the right price, you can find out almost anything." Pepti explained, grabbing his axe from the corner. "Of course, I expect you to pay your share if you're to take part in this."

"So it comes down to gold?" Sol asked, wrapping his own weapon around his waist.

This was troubling. Sol had barely any gold on him - it wasn't used all that much in Hatari.

"Sh-shouldn't be a problem!" the wolf laughed, practically pushing Pepti outside. "Now let's go meet our agent!"

As they went downstairs and headed for the exit, an employee of the inn stopped them. She had an envelope that was apparently for "That guy with orange spiked hair." Though confused, Sol took the envelope and quick opened it with a fingernail. There was a good sum of gold inside, as well as a little piece of paper. It read:

"_I assumed you didn't bring a lot of gold with you. This is a little of what I received for bringing that criminal in. You'll need this if you want to accomplish anything._

_ - Varuna"_

"How perfect!" Pepti smiled, swiping the envelope. "This should be just enough to cover your share of the price."

And again, a frown from Sol had no effect on the happy-go-lucky Beorc. Still, it was nice of Varuna to lend him some gold. It must have been a long time since she met a friendly Laguz. And Sol would be surprised if he wasn't the first Hatari she met.

A short walk later through various twists and turns of Freyr the pair came upon a man with a bright blue pair of boots. Pepti had explained that they were the information agent's tell.

"You're looking well, Gorog." Pepti smiled, leaning on the wall beside the Beorc. "I take it you have some information I need."

Not being used to these kinds of situations, Sol burst forward at this point.

"Where is their base? We need to find them!" he practically shouted.

Gorog was a bit put off and backed away from the Hatari. "Who is this? Decided to go with a Laguz as a partner? Not very trusting of us Beorc, are you?"

"Wait...you're a Laguz?" Sol exclaimed, pointing at Pepti. The blue-haired man was quick to shush him.

"This isn't the time, but yes. And please, leave the negotiations to me." Pepti sighed, taking out the gold-filled envelope as well as another small bag.

"Do excuse him. He's paying his share, so he shouldn't be an issue. You _do_ know where they are located, don't you?" Pepti questioned, holding the gold just out of Gorog's reach.

"Of course. But let me see that gold first..."

About an hour later, Sol and Pepti arrived at the base of a cliff within the forest. Despite how thick the area was with trees, this cliff overlooked a Laguz-styled building.

"So deep in the forest, behind a cloak of trees...they're rather intelligent. For bandits." Pepti thought, scratching his chin. They stay just within the trees, allowing them to escape the eyes of the various Gallian guards.

"It's pretty nice considering they built it from scratch." Sol admitted. None of the guards were in Laguz form just yet - perhaps they could get the drop on them?

Except there were probably more enemies inside that would be ready to tear Sol apart. They had to be tough to take so many hostages. If they could just figure out where the prisoners were located specifically...

"I can tell Winflam and Darlit are there. This is the right place." Pepti murmured.

"Anyways, how are we supposed to get in? I doubt whatever kind of Laguz you are will give us the power to take the whole fortress." Sol asked, sour that he hadn't noticed Pepti's...Laguz-ness.

"Don't worry." Pepti assured. "I have a plan."


End file.
